In 1817 a manuscript was found in the church tower of Dvůr Králové, a supposedly medieval collection of Czech epic poems that seemed to prove the antiquity of Czech literature. It became a national treasure, until scholars proved it a forgery decades later, sparking one of the great intellectual battles of the Czech national revival. The town, on the upper Elbe at the foot of the Krkonoše mountains, has never quite lived it down.
Today Dvůr Králové is better known for its safari park, known for its long record of breeding African species, and in particular for the northern white rhinos it once kept, now one of the rarest animals on earth.
Just upstream, the Les Království dam, built in the early twentieth century in an ornate style with towers and statues, holds back a long reservoir in the forest. Swimming is possible in places, but check local rules.
Downstream, at Kuks, the baroque hospital founded by Count Sporck stands above the river, with a famous gallery of statues of the Virtues and Vices by Matthias Braun. It is one of the finest baroque complexes in central Europe.
North of the river the roads climb into the Krkonoše foothills, narrow and bumpy, through villages of timbered cottages with the ridge of Sněžka, the highest Czech summit, showing on clear days. Dvůr Králové handles fuel and a meal easily. Ask for whatever the nearest brewery makes; in this part of Bohemia, there is almost always one within ten kilometres.